This proposal was discussed
in our residency group in the spring. While the underlying vision of
encouraging younger people to step in to their call earlier instead of
later is a good one, and certainly it may be appropriate for the clergy
mentors and district committees on ordained ministry to discuss and
explore ALL options for ministry for all candidates, and particularly
those who are about to expend a substantial amount of time, energy, and
money in pursuing one form of ministry - ordained ministry - including
older candidates who may not appreciate the many opportunities to serve
in the United Methodist Church - I think the outright ban on ordination
for those who do discern the call, and feel the call so strongly that
they are willing to devote their lives to fulfilling it, IS an
unnecessary step, and IS kinda mean spirited. We preach (or should
preach) that the journey for each of us is different - some come to know
Christ at an early age, for others, it may be many years before the
prevenient grace of God's love is accepted. Likewise, we are all on our
journey of responding to God's calling on our lives in different ways
and at different speeds. I can confidently say that some of the most
insightful and helpful preaching and teaching I've heard has come from
clergy who were late coming to the game -- their life of experiences and
encounters either as pre-Christians or lay members made them much
better equipped to reach a LOT of people who, likewise, had skirted
God's call on their lives for many decades.
I am thankful that this issue has been put to rest -- although the
underlying concern still remains; how do we help younger people to
discern, hear and heed their calling in their early life? I'll leave
most of that work to the Holy Spirit -- but maybe this is a good
opportunity to re-imagine the whole process to make the entry into
ministry for young adults less daunting, especially in regards to
accumulating debt that would embarrass any of us to get the diplomas
necessary to even begin! :)
